Pereira targets 242 pounds for heavyweight debut against Gane at UFC White House

Alex Pereira expects to walk into his interim heavyweight title fight against Ciryl Gane at the UFC White House on June 14 weighing approximately 242 pounds — the same weight at which he used to begin his cuts down to light heavyweight.

The former two-division champion, who has held belts at middleweight and light heavyweight, bulked up to 258 pounds earlier in his training camp before gradually trimming back to his target fight-night figure. A victory over Gane would make Pereira the first fighter in UFC history to win titles across three weight classes.

“Around [242 pounds],” Pereira told Paramount when asked about his expected fight-night weight. “Not too heavy, I was heavier before though. I got up to [258 pounds] and then I gradually started cutting back down.”

The move to heavyweight had been in discussion since January, when the UFC first explored the idea around its debut on Paramount. With heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall sidelined by an eye injury, the promotion moved to create an interim title fight, and Pereira was the name they wanted involved. A scheduling issue pushed the original plan back from earlier in the year, but Pereira says the delay ultimately worked in his favour.

“This fight was supposed to happen earlier, at the first event of the year but for a few reasons it didn’t happen and now this has become a big moment,” he said.

Pereira also reflected on the physical relief of no longer having to endure the punishing weight cuts that defined his time at middleweight and light heavyweight. Despite never missing weight throughout his UFC career, he acknowledged the toll those cuts had taken.

“When I was a middleweight, it was much more complicated,” Pereira said. “About a month before the fight, I had to cut back heavily on food, maybe even feel a bit weaker. The weight cut was pretty aggressive. Now I don’t have that concern anymore and for me, that’s very important.”

With his diet no longer a source of stress in the weeks leading up to a fight, Pereira says his preparation has been cleaner and more focused. The 37-year-old Brazilian is now free to direct his full attention toward solving the technical puzzle posed by Gane, a former interim heavyweight champion known for his fluid striking and movement.

The UFC White House card, scheduled for June 14, shapes up as one of the promotion’s marquee events of the year, with Pereira’s heavyweight debut its centrepiece.